Vacuum cleaner



April 16, 1940- o. HOLM-HANSEN ,6

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 23, 1937 Inventof: Osmuhd Helm-Hansen, by

His AttoTYjey.

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 V PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER OsmundHolm-Hanaen,

Stratford, Com, s-

aignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication December 23, 1937, Serial No. 181,331

1 Claim.

' The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the type having anagitating element in the suction nozzle for agitating the floor coveringor other surface being cleaned.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction andarrangement for supporting the agitating element in the suction nozzleof a vacuum cleaner, and for a consideration of what I believe to benovel and my inven- W tion, attention is directed to the followingdescription and the claim appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly brokenaway, of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top w planview of the vacuum cleaner broken away to show the construction fordriving .and supporting the agitatingelement; Fig. 3 is a detailview ofthe rock shaft and one of the seats for resiliently supporting theagitating element; and

til Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the construction for holdingthe agitating element in a plurality of positions.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in connection with avacuum cleaner 95 having an outer casing l having walls providing asuction nozzle 2 at the front and forked dis-v charge outlets 3 at therear between which is pivoted the forked end 4 of a discharge conduit 5.Within the casing is mounted an electric motor driven fan which drawsthe dust-laden air through the suction nozzle and discharges it throughthe discharge outlets 3 to the conduit 5. The .air discharged throughthe conduit 5 is passed through a suitable separator (not shown) such asa filter, which removes the dustfrom the air. The casing is supported atthe rear by wheels 6 rotatably carried on an arm I fixed to the casing land is supported at the front by wheels 8 rotatably carried in arms 9fixed to a rock shaft Ill. The rock shaft is journaled in bearings llfixed to the casing. By rotating the rock shaft in the position of thewheels 8 with respect to the casing can be varied, thereby 4w changingthe height of the suction nozzle above the surface being cleaned.Arrangements for rotating the rock shaft l and holding it in thisadjusted position are well known in the art and illustration thereof isnot required for the purm poses of the present invention. The nozzle isprovided with walls l2 and I3 which enclose the wheels 8. A rubberbumper i4 fits over an outwardly extending flange IS on the outside ofthe suction nozzle.

% At the rear of the suction nozzle, and extending lengthwise thereof,is a countershaft i6 journaled in bearing housings i'l fixed to thevacuum cleaner casing. The countershaft I6 is in substantially the samehorizontal plane as the suction nozzle and is directly below the outer 5end of the motor shaft l8. The countershaft I6 is rotated by a belt isextending over the motor shaft l8 and a pulley fixed to thecountershaft. The belt is accessible through an opening 2| in the bottomof the cleaner casing. The opening 10 is closed by a cover plate 22.

On the inner side of the end walls of the suction nozzle are bosses 23having pins 24 fixed therein on which a rock shaft 25 is pivotallysupported. At each end of the rock shaft are fixed arms 26 15 havingforked or semi-cylindrical seats 21 offset from the pivotal axis of therock shaft. The seats are covered by a coating 28 of rubber or otherresilient material which provides a yielding support :for the agitatingelement. The yielding 10 support of the agitating element, permits it toyield upwardly after striking the floor covering, reducing the pressureon the fioor covering and the resultant wear. The yielding support alsoreduces noise due to vibration of the agitating element. The seats 2'!have open ends 28 presented toward-the front of the suction nozzle whichare adapted to receive the bearing housings 30 ofan agitating element.Bearing housings of the agitating element are insertable in the seats bymovement transverse to the axis of the agitating element. The agitatingelement comprises, a body 3| journaled in the bearing housings 30 andhaving agitating members, such as brushes 32, projecting therefrom. Atthe center of the agitating element is a pulley 33.

The agitating element is rotated by a-belt 34 p running over the pulley33 and over a pulley 35 fixed to the countershait l6. In addition to (0driving the agitating element the belt 34 also holds the bearinghousings 30 of the agitating element in the seats 21. There is a doublespeed reduction between the motor shaft and the agitatinglelement whichpermits a desirable reductiomin the speed of rotation of the agitatingelementf The belt 34 is in substantially the horizontal plane of thesuction nozzle. This permits the suction nozzle to be relatively low andto extend forward from the main portion of the vacuum cleaner casing.This is advantageous in cleaning under furniture. The rock shaft 25 hasan offset rtion 36 extending upward over the top of the it 34. Thispermits;

the belt to he removed without disassembling the rock shaft. e k

Under some circumstances, it is desirable to lower the agitating elementwith respect to the nozzle lips, for example, in cleaning floors. en

the agitating element is lowered the brushes contact the floor and sweepthe surface of the floor. The adjustment of the agitating element isaccomplished'by rotating the rock! shaft 2% by means of the crank 31fixed to the rock shaft and projecting through a slot 38 in the walls Itof the vacuum cleaner casing. The slot 38 is provided with notches 39which engage the crank. 31 and retain the rock'shaft in a plurality oipositions.

Vifhen the crank is in the position shown in Fig. 4 the rock shaft is inits normal position aieaeai position the brushes $201. the agitatingelement may directly contact the floor.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

In a vacuum cleaner, an elongated suction nomle, an agitator in thesuction nozzle rotatable on an axis parallel to the length of thesuction nozzle, a rock shaft within the suction nozzle at the rear ofand extending substantially parallel to the agitator, said rock shaftbeing journaled in the nozzle for rotation on an axis parallel'to theaxis of the agitator, arms at the ends of the rock shaft and projectingforward therefrom, forked seats at the front ends of said arms presentedto the agitator into which the agitator is insertable 6y movementtransverse to its axis, a suction chamber connected to the rear of thesuction nozzle, a power shaft therein, a horizontally extending beltoperatively connecting said power shaft to the agitator intermediatesaid arms for rotating the agitator and for holding the agitator elementin said seats, a portion of said rock shaft intermediate said armsextending over the belt, and means for rotating the rock shaft wherebythe position of the agitator in the nozzle is adjusted. I

OS HOLM-HANH.

